Once Upon A Summer's Night
by hbomba
Summary: When the power goes out and the heat rises, Bo takes Lauren somewhere to cool down.


Title: Once Upon A Summer's Night

Author: hbomba

Rating: M

Summary: When the power goes out and the heat rises, Bo takes Lauren somewhere to cool down.

A/N: Idea shamelessly borrowed from OTPbot. For Jordan.

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"Hot summer nights, mid-July, when you and I were forever wild." / Lana Del Rey

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It was a sticky summer's night and the power had gone out in half the city. The temperature in the clubhouse had reached triple digits and even without clothes, that was too damn hot. So Bo had pulled Lauren along, grabbing the blanket from the back of the sofa and leading her out the door. Bo promised she knew a place they'd stay cool so Lauren had climbed into the Camaro and headed out for parts unknown with her. The top was down and the wind felt downright blissful on her skin. She watched Bo's profile from the bucket seat beside her, drawn in by her beauty, transfixed by her form.

Bo smiled. "You really gotta stop staring."

Lauren shook the cobwebs clear from her head. "Sorry." Bo laughed and squeezed Lauren's knee. "How much further is it?" They were bombing down a country road now, gravel kicking up as they sped towards their destination.

"A few more miles down this road and then we are home free."

"It's pitch black out here, Bo, I don't understand how we're going to stay cool out in the middle of nowhere."

Bo smiled again, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Trust me."

Lauren sighed and watched the trees buzz past as they slowed and took a hard left turn. The Camaro fishtailed and dust and gravel sprayed the road behind them as Bo accelerated again. And then it happened. Suddenly the air became cooler, like they had driven into a pocket of low pressure.

The Camaro slowed. Lauren looked around but couldn't see anything but trees and ditches. "Why do I feel like one of us is not coming home from here?"

Bo shut the engine off and laughed as she leaned across the gearshift. "I'm not going to kill you," she whispered against Lauren's lips before kissing her. "Now, c'mon." Bo kicked open her door and grabbed a blanket and a flashlight from the back seat on her way around to Lauren, who climbed out reluctantly, clutching a first aid kit. Bo reached for her hand and pulled her along. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I left it at home with my compass. Do you even know where you're going?"

"Patience," Bo chided as they walked down a narrow pathway in the pitch dark with only a full moon and a small beam of light to guide them.

It was a ten minute hike before the trees parted and the trail opened up onto bedrock and a man-made lake. The quarry was old and inactive but Bo knew it well. She grew up an hour down the road and it would be an understatement to say that she spent many summer nights at the quarry.

"Take off your clothes."

"What? No," Lauren refused.

"C'mon, we're going swimming."

"In _there_?" She scoffed. "How many submerged, rotted out pickup trucks are in there?"

"God, you're such a stick in the mud sometimes."

"Being concerned with our welfare is a full-time job, Bo. You have to admit you get us into some pretty crazy situations." Lauren crossed her arms.

"Correction. I get us _out _of those situations." Bo started to strip. "Suit yourself. You can stay up here with your first aid kit."

"You're not jumping in there…"

"Oh, yes I am."

"Bo, you don't know how deep it is, you could hit the bottom and really hurt yourself."

"Guess it's a good thing you brought the first aid kit, then."

Lauren sighed. "Are you sure about this? I really don't think this is a good idea," Lauren hedged.

"C'mon," Bo said. "Less talking, more stripping." Lauren watched Bo slip her thigh high boots off before peeling away her top. Bo looked up and caught her staring. "I'm serious," Bo said pulling her pants down. Lauren's head lulled from side to side a visual cue to the mental war waged inside it. She took a deep breath and started unbuttoning her shirt.

She had stripped down to her bra and panties and stood before Bo, the cool quartz beneath her feet. She had to admit, Bo was right, she was cooler already. Bo unfastened her bra and shimmied out of her underwear. Lauren looked around. "I can't." She shook her head.

"Go big or go home, Doctor," Bo prodded.

A shiver ran through her body. She wasn't cold, just uneasy about the situation. Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra. She looked at Bo, who returned her gaze expectantly. Lauren gritted her teeth and slipped out of her panties. A cool breeze passed over them. Self-conscious, she covered herself with her arms. "Please, can we just walk down to the water?" She asked.

Bo looked at her seriously. "I don't think I can do that."

"Why not?"

"Because this is about the experience, about stepping outside your comfort zone. Were you ever a kid, Lauren?"

Lauren began hopping from one foot to the other, still covering herself. "What kind of question is that? Of course I was."

"Did you ever do something you weren't supposed to? Like stay out late with a boy or sneak into the local pool after dark?"

"I was never much into boys and do you know how many germs are in public pools?"

"This is exactly why you are going to jump off that cliff with me."

"So we can die together knowing I did one crazy thing?"

"Don't be so dramatic." Bo lifted the hand covering Lauren's breasts and led her to the edge of the cliff. Lauren sighed. "Relax. This is supposed to be fun, remember?"

Lauren nodded and looked around as if plotting her escape. Bo lifted her chin, standing in front of her unabashedly naked in the out of doors, and kissed her greedily. When she pulled away, Lauren was breathless.

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Catch me if you can!" Bo shouted as she ran towards the edge of the cliff. Lauren watched her freefall until she plunged into the inky water below. There was a long moment before bubbles could be seen on the surface.

Lauren began to panic. What if she was trapped below? Or unconscious? "Shit, Bo!" Her eyes scanned the darkness behind her, a chorus of grasshoppers growing louder. How the hell was she going to get to her?

And then she surfaced, throwing her head back, her hair whipping the water as she did. "Come on in, Lo!" Bo shouted up at her.

She stood at the edge again staring down at Bo now, her breasts bobbing near the surface. "Christ," Lauren swore. What the hell was she doing? She took a few steps back and then ran toward the edge. When the bedrock disappeared and she began to plummet, Lauren kicked her legs wildly. Her arms swirled, but all this failed to keep her aloft as her freefall continued. Just before she hit the water she saw Bo began to swim towards her and then everything went black. Her ears popped as she went under and the quarry felt bottomless. Panicked, not wanting to find the bottom, she kicked her legs again and swam to the surface. When she emerged from the deep, Bo was waiting for her, grinning ear to ear. "Shit!" Lauren yelled, splashing Bo as her voice echoed throughout the quarry.

Bo threw her head back an laughed. She splashed Lauren, who squinted at her in the darkness. "Don't be like that," Bo said, swimming in close and kissing her on the cheek. "It wasn't so terrible, was it?"

Lauren had to think about it. Was it the abject fear of dying or the unknown that bothered her more? Or maybe it was the fact that Bo could entice her to do something that made her so uncomfortable? Still, the water was refreshing and cool and Bo was temptingly near. Once her heartbeat had slowed down, Lauren couldn't really find fault with Bo's plan. "No," she said begrudgingly.

The sly smile that spread across Bo's face frustrated Lauren. Just once, she wanted to get her way. But the fact of the matter was, she'd always bend for Bo. Her arms draped around Lauren's neck, pressing their bodies together as they treaded water. "I'm proud of you, Dr. Lewis." Her voice held many mysteries waiting to be discovered.

"Really?"

"Sure. You threw caution to the wind-and you never do that-and this is your reward." She pointed up at the full moon, reflecting off the surface of the water.

Lauren hummed, enjoying her proximity, enjoying the stillness of nature. Completely bared to the world, floating in the black waters of a quarry alongside an equally nude Bo, Lauren felt, dare she say it, liberated. But Bo had that effect on her, even when they weren't jumping off cliffs naked.

Bo released her and floated away on her back, kicking her legs. Lauren couldn't help but stare again. She treaded water and looked up at the cliff. What the hell was she thinking jumping off that? She spun around in the water, beginning to lose sight of Bo as she kicked her legs harder, throwing water high into the air.

"Where are you going?" Lauren called as she began to swim after Bo. Halfway across the lake Lauren caught up with her. "Hey," she said, out of breath.

"I used to come here when I was a teenager," Bo said with a sad smile.

"You knew that swimming hole was safe…" Lauren realized.

Bo laughed and nodded. "Yep." She sunk into the water.

"Why on earth are we floating in the middle of a lake?" Lauren asked.

"I thought I'd go for a swim… I used to swim across when I was younger."

"Old habits die hard," Lauren smiled.

"Yeah, I guess." Bo dipped her hair underwater and looked at Lauren.

Lauren held up her hand. "I'm turning into a prune."

"We better head back," Bo smirked. "Race you there!" Bo hollered before taking off toward shore.

"Hey!" Lauren said before racing after her.

Halfway to shore, Lauren was panting. Closing in on Bo, she pushed harder and the shore came closer still. Bo was fading in the last fifty yards and Lauren made her move, passing her easily and stumbling onto shore. Bo clambered to her feet and, hand on her hip, staggered to Lauren's side.

Lauren's breast heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Bo wheezed, shaking her head. "I had you."

She chuckled, smiling at Bo's frustration. Bo pulled her close and squeezed her hips. Their breathing mingled, skin tacky from the water. This was one of those undeniable moments in their relationship. Bo had shared something from her past with Lauren and for her part, Lauren had given herself over to Bo's whim. The stillness between them was charged. Lauren brought a hand to her face, wiping away the water droplets that gathered on the tip of her nose. Bo reached out and held her wrist between them. Her breath washed over her cheek before her lips covered Lauren's. She inhaled sharply at the contact and Bo smoothed the wet hair from Lauren's face carefully. Bo pulled away, shaking her head.

"What is it?" Lauren asked, bringing her hands to cup Bo's face.

"I'm just glad you're here." Bo smiled.

"Where else would I be?"

"I dunno, for a minute there I thought you had a date with that first aid kit." Lauren swatted at Bo's arm and smiled as Bo gathered her up and pulled her close. "C'mon," Bo said, releasing her and turning to walk toward the embankment.

Lauren stepped gingerly on the uneven ground as they followed a path back up to the cliff. When they reached the top, they were winded again. Reuniting with their things, Bo shook out the blanket and spread it on the ground and motioned for Lauren to join her. With a twinkle in her eyes, she obliged. Bo balled up their clothes to use as pillows and lay on the blanket staring up on the sky. Lauren kneeled and crawled beside Bo, flipping onto her back to watch the constellations move across the sky.

They didn't speak for some time, the water evaporating off their naked bodies as the warm summer breeze blew over them. "Thank you," Lauren said when she finally spoke.

Bo turned her head and looked at Lauren who was lost in thought. "For what?"

"For bringing me here and, as much as I hate to admit it, for forcing me out of my comfort zone."

Bo nodded. "Anytime." Her smile was warm.

Exhaustion was setting in and Lauren curled into Bo's side. The heat of the night surrounded them, wrapped them up in gossamer and Lauren couldn't remember feeling quite like she did then. Imbued by nature, filled with love, Lauren felt completely at ease. Sleep came quickly and soundly until a few hours later when Bo gently shook Lauren awake.

"Didn't want you to miss the sunrise," Bo whispered.

"Oh," Lauren smiled and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Five," Bo said, wrapping her arms around Lauren and kissing her on the forehead.

A starry night gave way to dusk and the sky began to turn from steel grey to a subtle shade of pink, slowly growing more intense as the sun crested over the trees on the other side of the lake. The reflection off the water was blinding as the sun moved above them.

Lauren reached for her clothes. Her day of firsts was officially over and she seemed bound and determined to get back to the status quo. Bo stilled her with a hand on her wrist. "What's the rush?" She asked.

Voices echoed through the trees and Lauren instinctually covered her breasts with her hands. Her modesty, inhibition, and shame were back and Bo chuckled. The cover of night was gone and with that so was Lauren's sense of adventure. She scrambled for her clothes and, standing buck naked on the edge of the cliff, she dressed hurriedly. Bo, however, took her time, not really caring if anyone caught her with her pants down or her top off for that matter.

The brush rustled and the voices came closer. Bo slipped on her boots, threw the blanket over her shoulder and passed the first aid kit to Lauren before taking her hand and walking into the tree line. Ten feet onto the path a group of teenage boys with fishing poles passed them along the trail. Bo cast a look over her shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. Leave it to Bo to find this situation hilarious.

The hike out was far less memorable than the hike in was but Lauren found herself looking around and absorbing their surroundings as the trees parted and they set eyes on the Camaro again. Lauren threw the first aid kit in the back seat and climbed in the front as Bo hopped over the door and slid down into the driver's seat. She clapped a hand onto Lauren's thigh and beamed.

"Honestly," she said. "I didn't think you had it in you." She turned the key.

"I'm hurt, really I am." Lauren smirked. "We'll see how you do when we go to the museum next week when The History of Medicine Exhibit opens"

The car started to roll and then Bo slammed on the brakes. "What?"

"I thought that's what this was? I do something crazy and you do something crazy. Tit for tat."

"Tit for tat means something completely different to me." Bo gripped the steering wheel and grinned.

Lauren laughed and slapped her arm as Bo began to accelerate again. "Shut up and drive."

* * *

Fin.


End file.
